


Beyond The Stars

by wackyjacqs



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Reality, F/M, Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:54:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26898514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wackyjacqs/pseuds/wackyjacqs
Summary: Brigadier General Jack O’Neill is nearing early retirement when the SGA comes under attack from the Goa’uld. As commander of the Stargate Program, he soon finds his world turned upside down, and not only does he have to fight to keep his people – and Earth – safe, but he also has to learn to work alongside his newest member of staff; the mysterious, albeit charming, Doctor Samantha Carter.
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Comments: 78
Kudos: 119





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be an alternate reality version of Stargate’s first season. I started making notes for the story back in September 2018 and I’ve been plotting the different chapters and plot lines in my head ever since. It will be a work-in-progress, but I do have a clear vision as to how this will unfold, so… we’ll see what happens. Hope you enjoy!

**July 27, 1997**   
**Stargate Alliance (SGA)**   
**Cheyenne Mountain**

“You know, for a top-secret operation that isn’t actually active, the skeleton staff we have on site sure go through a hell of a lot of supplies,” grouses Brigadier General Jack O’Neill.

The lieutenant on the other end of the phone apologizes – again – for the inconvenience and Jack pinches the bridge of his nose and takes a slow breath as he listens to the same argument he’s been listening to for the past ten minutes. When he hears the words ‘requisition forms’ and ‘incorrect signatures’ he rolls his eyes and leans forward, his elbows resting on the desk.

He decides he’s heard enough and begrudgingly agrees to pay the administration staff on Level 4 a visit to try to resolve the issue before the SGA misses out on their weekly shipment of Russet potatoes. He sets the phone down and runs a hand over his face.

“This is so not what I signed up for,” he mutters. He then casts a sidelong glance at the dozen or so file folders that are stacked high in his outbox. With a sigh, he pushes away from his desk and grabs the folders as he makes his way out of his office.

 _Two birds, one stone,_ he tells himself as he heads for the elevator because he’ll be damned if he’s going to make this trip to the Admin department again any time soon. He digs out a pen from his pocket and flips open the first folder while he waits for the elevator to arrive; it’s full of request forms for toilet paper, a new Table Tennis table, Jell-O –

_Jell-O?_

He throws up his hands in frustration.

“Who the hell eats Jell-O in this place?”

The corridor is empty, so he doesn’t receive an answer to his question, but it doesn’t stop him from casting a glance around anyway before he returns his attention to the page.

Jack has been commander of the SGA for over a year now and he is yet to hear of anyone _willingly_ choosing to eat the glasses of Jell-O in the mess. _Or maybe they do,_ he concedes with a frown; it’s not like he makes a habit of eating meals with the people under his command.

The elevator arrives and he steps inside, presses a button and waits for the doors to close. There’s a lurch as the elevator starts to move and the General turns his attention back to the form. He shakes his head. Whatever the situation is with the food, he reminds himself that he doesn’t particularly care. On any given day around the SGA, Jack is happy to leave the more menial paperwork to Walter. He trusts the man to do the job well – and he does – as all Jack usually has to do is read the attached Post-it telling him what the form is about so he can simply sign the page in the appropriate places. But today, unfortunately for Jack, is Walter’s day off which is why the General has found himself unwittingly at the center of a food scandal and now subsequently on his way to the upper levels of Cheyenne Mountain to see a Lieutenant Graham Simmons.

Jack sighs again.

He signs another form before the elevator comes to a stop and he looks up to see he’s only made it to Level 14. He straightens as the doors open to reveal his second-in-command, Colonel George S. Hammond, standing on the other side.

He dips his head in greeting. “George.”

“Jack,” he smiles, as he steps into the elevator.

“What level?”

“I’m actually on my way down to the gate room.”

“Ah,” Jack says lightly. “They playing cards again?”

George nods but Jack simply smirks as he reaches over and presses the button for Level 28 and goes back to reading his paperwork. He isn’t annoyed, nor the tiniest bit surprised, by George’s confirmation. Okay, so technically the airmen on duty should be _on duty,_ but since he’s taken over at Stargate Alliance, Jack’s opinion has been that as nothing happens in the mountain these days – and as long as no problems arise between any of his officers – he’s happy for those under his command to take their breaks however, and whenever, they wish. It isn’t exactly conventional nor reflective of USAF regulations, but Jack will be the first to admit that he’s never been a fan of following protocol.

As he signs off on another form, he can feel George studying him and he turns his head.

“The display on the elevator said it was going up.”

Jack nods, but when the colonel continues to watch him in confusion, he sighs. “I’ve something to do on Level 4,” he offers with a shrug, “but it can wait.”

He sees George’s lips twist before he turns away. “Sign the wrong form again, did we, Jack?”

“This is why I hate being The Man,” he retorts defensively, folding his arms across his chest. “Too much damn paperwork.”

A chuckle escapes the other man at his admission before they both fall into a comfortable silence and it isn’t until the elevator passes Level 19 when George breaks the quiet.

“Have you any plans for this evening?”

“Oh, yeah,” Jack smiled, “big plans – _huge._ Most of which involve The Simpsons… and beer.”

George laughs again and fully turns to face him. “Why don’t you join us for dinner?”

Jack’s own amusement slowly fades at his friend’s question but he resists the urge to sigh. He appreciates the oft-repeated invitation to join George, his daughter, and two young granddaughters for dinner on a Sunday evening, he really does; but being around kids is still a situation that Jack isn’t yet ready to face. He knows George knows this too, so his second-in-command is – thankfully – never offended when his dinner invitation is always politely, but firmly, rejected.

He is just about to say ‘thanks, but no thanks’ once again when the base alarms suddenly ring out.

“What the hell?” Jack mutters.

“The alarms are only to be activated in case of an attack –”

“I know,” Jack interrupts impatiently, although his frustration isn’t directed at George. “Come on, come on,” he adds as he watches the numbers slowly change as the elevator continues down to Level 28. It takes a few more seconds, which feel more like hours, before the elevator stops and the doors slide open. The distinct sound of gunfire and explosions can be heard and Jack throws the folders down as he runs towards the gate room.

“Call for back-up,” he yells to Hammond over his shoulder as he runs around the corner, “and _stay here._ ”

George grabs the nearest wall phone and by the time he relays Jack’s message the weapons’ fire stops. Despite the order, he moves down the corridor and pauses just behind Jack on the threshold of the gate room as he looks around.

He catches the General’s subtle, if slightly angry, signal for him to hold his position, right before he turns his attention away.

There are officers lying dead at the base of the ramp and even for a seasoned officer like Jack O’Neill, he has to force away the nausea. He pulls his gaze away from the dead and towards the gate and notices that it’s still active, which concerns him as he didn’t know the Stargate could stay open if nothing was coming through. There’s also the small fact that there is no way on this Earth that one of his own people dialled the coordinates. But what worries him more are the intruders – one dressed in gold armor and the others in silver – that make their way towards the wormhole with one of the SGA’s female sergeants. He hears George gasp at the sight and a second later, Jack urges him back into the corridor once more before he reaches for the nearest body, grabs a pistol from the holster and aims it at the hostiles.

“I think that’s far enough,” Jack warns.

He vaguely registers the sound of boots pounding against the concrete floor as his back-up finally appears and files into the room behind him. With the support of his officers, he slowly takes a step closer. He then hears the collective sound of guns cocking, but Jack’s gaze never wavers from the threat. Then, without warning, the enemy that’s dressed in gold turns and stares directly at him. His eyes glow brightly before an ornately-decorated protective helmet covers the alien’s face.

Jack gives the order to shoot just before the strangers step through the gate.

When the wormhole disengages and plunges the room back to its normal gray surroundings, it’s George who breaks the silence.

“Dear God,” he whispers in horror.

Swallowing hard, Jack turns and grabs the phone that’s hanging loose against the back wall.

“This is General O’Neill,” he barks. “Get Catherine on the phone – tell her she’s needed on base ASAP.”


	2. Return to the SGA

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the lovely comments and kudos on the first chapter!

**July 27, 1997**   
**Washington D.C.**

Doctor Samantha Carter glances at her watch once more and sighs. She is well aware that getting ready for dinner is a waste of her time. She’s been expecting a phone call all afternoon; the one that tells her he’s sorry for running late, but something’s happened at work and he needs to take a rain check – _again._

It’s not like it will be the first time this has happened over the past year, nor will it be the last, she tells herself, but he was due to pick her up fifteen minutes ago and, as of yet, she’s still heard nothing from him.

“Where are you dad?” she breathes into the quiet surroundings of her apartment.

The two of them have been a part of each other’s lives over the past year but Sam wouldn’t necessarily say they have a close relationship. Nevertheless, the lack of communication from her father is not only out-of-character, but also unsettling because the last time he was late to pick someone up–

Sam closes her eyes to block out the memories she has of that day. Even though it’s been sixteen years since her mother’s death, it still hurts. She’s trying to think of something else to replace the stab of grief she now feels when her cell phone rings. She doesn’t bother to check the Caller ID.

“Let me guess,” she says as she sits down on the couch, “something’s come up and you need to cancel.”

There’s a brief pause on the line before a woman’s voice answers.

_“You could say that.”_

Sam recognizes the voice instantly and straightens but before she can say anything, they continue: _“Samantha? It’s Catherine. We – ah – have a situation. I need you on the next flight out to Colorado Springs.”_

Sam pulls the phone from her ear and stares at it in disbelief, as if it’s no longer an inanimate object. She hasn’t heard from Doctor Langford in over a year, but even with the distinct lack of information she’s just received, Sam knows _exactly_ what the call is in relation to. She feels her heart skip a beat.

After being unfairly dismissed from Project Giza, Sam has taken a new, possibly unhealthy, obsession in her work; relocating back to Washington D.C. and securing a job as a civilian contractor to the Pentagon. The work however, while sometimes interesting, doesn’t compare to her work regarding the Stargate and it’s left her with a void she’s unsuccessfully been trying to fill, not to mention a yearning for a solution to an entire trail of unanswered questions and unfulfilled dreams.

On more than one occasion over the past fourteen months, she’s found her thoughts dangerously drift back to the project and what became of the men who did go on the first mission. Sam is careful though; when she does start to reminisce, she tends to only let her thoughts reach the point where she could easily hack into the classified reports and learn the details for herself – but she never does. Because despite Sam’s scientific curiosity, her nostalgia and wonder is always quickly replaced by the anger and hurt she continues to harbor towards General West and his officers and she knows those feelings will only discolor anything she chooses to read.

Working in D.C. does have its advantages though as it still manages to keep her in the loop – even if it is in a circumstantial kind of way – as her move to the city saw her path, strangely, cross with her father’s, a two-star General in the United States Air Force.

They have worked together a few times lately, albeit not directly, but Sam knows her reports and recommendations cross his desk and every-so-often he’ll have one of his aides drop by her office with requests as to how the USAF can make their jet fighters faster, bigger, _better._

It’s not exactly the role she had envisaged upon moving back to Washington, but it pays the bills – and has brought her and her father back onto speaking terms. _Relatively speaking._ Because inside of the Pentagon walls, their relationship is more professional than personal, and outside of those same walls, they never discuss their respective classified projects.

Sam doesn’t particularly mind, however. She gets on well with everyone in her department – not to mention her father’s department – and this works in her favor: the staff know her and like her, so they tend to be more relaxed in her company, knowing that she won’t go running to her father every time one of them participates in a little departmental gossip.

So, she hears things.

Usually it’s just names or half-cryptic codewords that leak through the rest of the office noise, but Sam’s been a military brat long enough to know what details to listen for, and she’s heard a few passing references to the Stargate in her time here.

For example, she knows that Ra was killed in the mission and Abydos was subsequently destroyed, but she also knows that the man who was picked to lead the mission – a Colonel Jack O’Neill – had been able to return home before the bomb detonated, saving himself and his men from the same fate as Daniel Jackson. Moreover, she’s mindful of the fact that Jack O’Neill wasn’t expected to survive the trip and yet he did. The USAF has since classed the mission as an achievement, but the people around Sam seem more surprised by the fact that the Colonel actually _chose_ to survive.

The difference in that little detail intrigues her.

But for all the mentions she’s heard while in Washington, the one that piques her interest the most is the one that was uttered from her father’s own lips. It’s the reason Sam knows the gate is now in storage, deep within the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.

So, she has more than a sneaking suspicion that her father knows about the Stargate – not to mention her previous involvement in the project – but he’s never broached the subject with her and Sam refuses to be the one to mention it first. Not that it really matters in the grand scheme of things, especially since the project has ‘officially’ been shut down, but she can’t help wonder why her dad hasn’t confided in her about it. She wonders if it’s because he believes she was also unfairly dismissed from the project and he doesn’t want to stir up bad memories if he was to mention her work. Or, and the more likely option, is that her father also views her dismissal from the project as fair; that she actually _wasn’t_ good enough to join Colonel O’Neill and his men, and so he’s put the whole sorry saga down as another time when she’s failed him as a daughter.

She sighs heavily.

She knows she’s more likely to step through the gate itself than receive an answer to her questions, and she unwittingly finds her resentment start to bubble again, while there’s a knot tightly coiling in her stomach. Sam forces herself to take a deep breath and focus. Right now, she isn’t speaking to her father, or the Air Force. It’s _Catherine_ on the other end of the phone, and whatever opinions General West had towards Sam, she knows that her former mentor has always firmly been in her corner – and she wouldn’t be calling unless it was about something really important.

Just as Sam’s curiosity starts to get the better of her, she hears a tinny voice repeat her name over the phone and she jumps. She closes her eyes as she brings the cell back to her ear.

“Yes, I’m still here. Sorry, Catherine,” she says in a rush.

_“We don’t have a lot of time, Sam. If you’re on board, I need you here. Now.”_

Sam chews on her bottom lip as she listens to Doctor Langford’s plea. A part of her wants to accept the offer, but the other part of her wonders if it is really worth revisiting the pain and disappointment it’s already caused her: the endless hours she’ll invest in research; the sleepless nights she’ll undoubtedly pull; the expertise she can provide, only for her contribution to be devalued and belittled once more.

 _“It’s important,”_ Catherine pleads. _“Something – something’s happened. I can’t –”_

She hears Catherine takes a deep breath and then apologizes to her again for the secrecy before it’s followed with a promise to _“explain everything”_ once Sam reports to Cheyenne Mountain.

As Sam glances around her small apartment she sighs. It is cold and impersonal and boring. There are a few frames that line the far wall. They contain photographs of her family – her brother, her niece and nephew, her parents on their wedding day – but aside from those, there is absolutely nothing around her to suggest this place, this city, is her home. She doesn’t have many friends and aside from her father she no longer has any other personal ties to keep her in D.C. The one other person she did have… well, she has no idea where he is now. The only proof Sam has of that relationship are the recently faded bruises and a broken engagement. She represses a shudder.

“Catherine,” she begins, “what –”

The rest of her question is interrupted by an alarm in the background of Catherine’s call. It’s quickly followed by the sound of a man’s voice and Sam strains to make out what he’s saying but Catherine talks over him.

 _“Look, Sam,”_ the older woman continues, _“I have to go but I need an answer.”_

Sam rubs at her temple as she vaguely registers Catherine say that the paperwork for her transfer is ready to go. All Sam needs to do is agree to the role and her superiors, of which she’s no doubt her father will be one, will be notified of the changes in her posting, _“effective immediately.”_

But there’s still something that holds Sam back from answering and she suspects Catherine knows the exact reason for her hesitation when she quietly adds a moment later, _“If it helps, General West is no longer involved with the project.”_

Suddenly, the reassurance is enough and Sam accepts the invitation to go to Colorado Springs without a second thought.


	3. SGA vs. The Aliens

**July 27, 1997**   
**Stargate Alliance (SGA)**   
**Cheyenne Mountain**

Catherine sets the phone down and, despite the alarm wailing and the heightened levels of fear and panic that currently emanate through the complex, she allows herself a small smile. She pushes herself away from her desk and heads for the elevator so she can update General O’Neill regarding the outcome of her conversation with Sam.

She knows she’s made the right call and she’s even more relieved that Samantha Carter has agreed to return to the newly-renamed, re-established Stargate Program.

She reaches the elevator just as the alarms stop but the silence that follows is deafening and Catherine decides that she finds the lack of noise more unnerving than comforting now. Perhaps, she thinks, it’s because they have been so used to nothing happening at the SGA that a lack of action now seems… _wrong._

The Stargate was her father’s life’s work and she’d been determined to keep his legacy alive. It was part of the reason why she had fought so hard to get the program up and running in the first place and subsequently agreed to help lead the scientific element regarding the original mission to Abydos. It was through this role that she’d met Sam and she quickly came to view the bright young woman as a daughter, as opposed to just a colleague. Sam was one of the smartest people she knew – and still knows – and there is no doubt in Catherine’s mind that the doctor had been wrongly and unfairly treated by General West in the past.

In the intervening months since the mission, she’s been tempted to contact Sam a few times but she never got around to it and she feels guilty because even though the project was "officially" shut down last year, Catherine had decided to stick around. She’d also, graciously, been allowed to continue with the odd piece of quiet research on the gate, courtesy of the new base commander, Brigadier General Jack O’Neill.

Following the Abydos mission, Jack’s superior officers were more than a little surprised to see him return home – considering they’d happily sent him to his death – and so, to save face, the Air Force offered him a promotion and a two-year command of the SGA, just so he could then, finally, leave the Air Force: both quietly and with an honorable discharge.

 _It’s a small price to pay,_ she thinks as she steps inside the elevator and hits the button for Level 27, _if it means Jack can get his life back._

For just as she adores Sam, Catherine has also grown fond of the oft-grouchy General. She respects him, and that feeling is reciprocated, which she appreciates. She’s also well aware that Jack isn’t the same man that she was introduced to a year ago but she hopes with the devastation they witnessed this morning; he won’t slip back into his old ways.

She has a feeling he won’t, but she knows the danger is there.

 _The danger is always there,_ the little voice in the back of her head reminds her.

The elevator comes to a stop and when the doors slide open, Catherine waits a moment before she steps into the corridor. She’s more on edge and wary of the threat that now potentially lurks around every corner of the SGA.

She sighs. It’s this newest threat to Earth that has made her finally reach out to Sam. Before today, she had entertained the idea of asking Sam to join her at the SGA as her research assistant, but with no hope of the Stargate project being reinstated, she knew the doctor would have been wasted in the mountain. But now? Now things are different and Catherine’s guilt returns because she wasn’t able to contact Sam under better circumstances.

She makes her way towards Jack’s office in a daze. This morning had been like every other morning over the past year but then the gate had suddenly whirred into life and just a few hours later, everything has changed: the Stargate Program is being officially reinstated, staff are being deployed to the operation; and a message has been sent through the gate to Daniel in the hope of receiving some additional intel.

She’s almost reached the General’s office when she hears raised voices coming from the Briefing Room and she ventures in that direction instead. She hesitates in the doorway when she finds Jack standing at the head of the table, while George, Charles Kawalsky, and Louis Ferretti remain in their seats.

“He looked like Ra, Jack!”

“A Mark III nuclear warhead blew up in his face,” he retorts. “I know that son of a bitch is dead!”

“Then who the hell came through the gate?”

A heavy silence follows Kawalsky’s outburst and from her position by the door, Catherine sees Jack’s jaw tighten. He senses her standing behind him and he turns and waves her into the room. She walks to the far side of the table to take the empty chair next to George.

“What have I missed?”

“Daniel sent a message,” Jack supplies.

The revelation piques Catherine’s interest and she leans her elbows on the table. “And?”

Jack exchanges a look with Kawalsky before he pushes an empty Kleenex box towards her. She glances at both men before she lifts it and studies the writing on the side.

_THANKS. SEND MORE._

She isn’t sure how Daniel’s message makes her feel. The five of them now sitting around the briefing table were the only ones who – up until a few hours ago – knew the truth about what had really happened on Abydos. Catherine slowly turns her attention to Jack. She can tell he is trying hard to hide his emotions but his anger at the situation is evident; as is his guilt over the deaths of those under his command.

She doesn’t know what to say; doesn’t think there is anything she can say to make the current state of affairs better, so she takes a risk and unwittingly says what everyone else is thinking.

“I’m assuming burying the Stargate is no longer an option.”

Another set of heavy looks are exchanged and Catherine thinks this is the part of the conversation she’d started to interrupt.

Jack sighs heavily as he sits down. “No, it’s not.”

“It worked before,” she hedges.

“They know what we are now,” he says, tapping the end of his pen against his notepad. “They know how far we’ve come. We’re a threat to _them._ You’ve read the reports, Catherine,” he continues, finally meeting her eye. “Ra had a ship as big as the great pyramids. They don't need the Stargate to get here anymore; if they really want to, they can do it the old-fashioned way.”

She releases a breath. “So, what do we do?”

“We’re going to use the Stargate to do a little reconnaissance before they decide to come back… _again._ ”

Her eyes widen. “You’re going to Abydos?”

She catches the small glance Jack sends George before he nods in confirmation. “Kawalsky and Ferretti are going back.” He takes a deep breath. “I’m going with them.”

“But Jack –”

“There’s no arguments on this one, Catherine,” he says quietly. “If we’re really going to need Daniel’s help – I’ve got to be the one to convince him to come back with us.”

A sigh escapes her. She knows Jack is right; but it doesn’t mean she has to like, or agree, with the idea. The General’s voice pulls her from her thoughts.

“I’ve given George the order. Once we step through the gate, we’ll have exactly twenty-four hours to either return or send a message through.”

“Another Kleenex box?”

Jack gives her a wry smile. “No,” he says before he turns his head and stares at his second-in-command, all previous humor gone, “otherwise, assume the worst and send a bomb through.”

She sees George nod at the order and Jack glances at each of them again. “Any questions?”

None are forthcoming and Jack drums his fingers against the surface of the table. “Charlie, Louis, go and make a list of what we’ll need. We ship out at zero-six-hundred tomorrow morning.” He then turns back to George. “Make sure the Mark V is on standby. I don’t want to take any chances.”

Catherine remains seated as she watches them go, leaving her and Jack alone. She bites the inside of her cheek as she decides whether or not she should try to discuss the upcoming mission.

“Something on your mind?” the General suddenly asks as he picks up a pen and starts to twirl it between his fingers.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

He meets her eye. “Probably not, but we don’t have a lot of options right now.”

“Jack,” she sighs, “you’re the commander of this base. I don’t think you can just leave.”

“You know, it’s funny,” he mumbles as he leans back in the chair. “The President said the same thing.”

“And yet,” she says carefully, “you’re still going.”

“Yes.”

“What if –”

“It’ll be fine,” he interrupts, “the base is in good hands with George.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

There’s a beat of silence as Jack presses his lips together. He observes Catherine for a moment, then leans forward and rests his elbows on the table.

“ _I_ will be fine,” he amends. “I’m not –” He stops abruptly and sighs. “This isn’t the same as before. I’m going to bring Daniel home.”

“I’m not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?”

“You know me so well, Catherine,” he smiles, before he turns serious. “Did you get a hold of your scientist friend?”

She’s momentarily thrown by the non-sequitur until she remembers why she’d sought out the General in the first place. She smiles. “They’re on their way.”

“Good,” Jack nods. “I’m counting on you with this appointment, Catherine, because I don’t have a lot of time for scientists.” He winces and adds: “Present company excluded, of course.”

She chuckles lightly. “They are one of the best, Jack.”

“Alright,” he says getting to his feet. “I’ll sign off the paperwork and make sure Walter submits it before I leave.”

With that, he turns and heads for his office only to pause in the doorway. He looks back at her.

“What did you say their name was again?”

“Carter… Doctor Carter.”

A frown puckers Jack’s brow before it quickly disappears but Catherine doesn’t get a chance to ask him if everything is okay as he offers her a small smile and then enters his office. She slowly gets to her feet and follows him.

“Jack?”

He looks up from the folder he’s reading.

“Stay safe out there.”

He nods once and Catherine knows it’s the closest thing to a promise that he can give her right now.

She turns to make her way back to her own office. She’ll worry about Jack and his team until they are back safely and she needs to prepare for Sam’s arrival; but her mind is still racing as to the earlier attack on the SGA and what the next few days will have in store for everyone.

Whatever it turns out to be, she has a gut feeling that this is only the beginning of a journey none of them are quite ready for.


	4. An Overdue Reunion

**July 28, 1997**   
**Stargate Alliance (SGA)**   
**Cheyenne Mountain**

Sam has only been at Cheyenne Mountain for an hour and already she has lost count of the number of forms she’s had to sign: non-disclosure agreements, permission slips, disclaimers, issues surrounding national security… the list goes on and considering the Stargate Program is meant to be a _top-secret_ project, she isn’t quite sure what they actually do with the paperwork.

She’s thankful for small mercies, however, as her previous involvement with the Stargate means that – for now – she doesn’t have to fill out every single form the United States Air Force has in their inventory.

Another thirty minutes of signing forms goes by before the Lieutenant who has been Sam’s appointed shadow for the morning leads them out of the small room and towards an awaiting elevator. Sam sighs as she steps inside; she’s tired, having uprooted her entire life again overnight, and also apprehensive as she still has no idea what she’s signed up for. But, despite the reservations that linger, she also desperately wants to see Catherine again and get to work.

As they descend further into the depths of the facility, Sam feels the floor and the walls around her shake and she tenses.

“What was that?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” the Lieutenant says. “Doctor Langford will explain everything to you shortly.”

Sam nods, but refrains from saying anything else. She’s still in the dark regarding the “situation” Catherine referred to during their all-too-brief phone call yesterday, but instinct tells her it isn’t good news. But she also feels that whatever has happened, she might be able to make a difference here: to have the chance to be a part of a project again and do something _good._

There’s a cheery ‘ding’ from the elevator as it comes to a stop and it pulls Sam from her musings. When the doors slide open, she follows Lieutenant Simmons into the corridor and immediately catches a glimpse of movement to her left. She turns to see Catherine approaching and Sam smiles as the older woman gathers her into her arms and whispers, “I’m so glad you could make it.”

Sam is glad too.

For the first time since her arrival at the SGA, her nerves lessen. She’s happy to see a familiar face and the genuine warmth and enthusiasm emanating from Doctor Langford is infectious. It gives Sam the reassurance that this is the best career decision she’s ever going to make.

“I can take it from here Graham, thank you,” Catherine smiles before she waves for Sam to follow her.

Sam nods her thanks at the Lieutenant, ignoring how bashful he now appears, and turns on her heel to catch up with her former mentor. She idly lets her gaze run over the gray concrete walls and the different officers she passes as she makes her way through the labyrinth of corridors.

“How’s Jonas?”

The question momentarily throws Sam but she keeps her voice, and expression, neutral. “I… wouldn’t know.”

Catherine doesn’t stop walking, but she does turn to look at her, a slight frown on her face, before she returns her attention to where she’s going.

“I’m sorry, Samantha,” she says softly as they turn another corner.

“Don’t be,” she finds herself saying.

“What happened?”

“He –” Sam hesitates, then settles for, “he’d changed.”

The older woman doesn’t say another word, and Sam isn’t quite sure what else she wants to say herself, so she’s content to just stay silent. A few moments later, Catherine veers left into a large open-space room and a quick look around lets Sam know that it’s the doctor’s office. She takes the seat Catherine gestures to and waits until she is also seated.

“I owe you an apology, Sam.” There’s a brief pause before Catherine adds, “for all of the secrecy.”

Sam suspects that isn’t what she was originally planning to say but, deciding that now probably isn’t the time to get into the issue, Sam forces a smile and casts another look around the room.

“So,” she says, “why am I here?”

“Yesterday, a group of hostile aliens came through the Stargate. They killed four of our people and kidnapped another.”

“Oh, my god,” Sam mumbles. “Who –”

“We don’t know,” Catherine interrupts with a sigh. “Have you read the initial report? From last year’s mission?”

Sam shakes her head. “But I know some of the details; Ra was killed and Abydos was destroyed,” she adds when Catherine continues to stare.

“Well,” she says, “there’s something you need to know.”

Sam shifts imperceptibly forward in her chair.

“Abydos was never destroyed.”

_“What?”_

“Jack did detonate the bomb,” Catherine continues, “and Ra was killed; but it was aboard his spacecraft.”

Sam’s frown deepens. “I don’t understand.”

“Ra’s ship was in orbit above the planet at the time. Neither the gate nor anything else on the planet was destroyed. Daniel Jackson is alive and living with the people on Abydos.”

Sam’s jaw goes slack. “You’re kidding?”

“The men determined the people of Abydos were no threat to us, and deserved to be left alone.”

“The men?” Sam questions.

“Those who went on the first mission,” Catherine clarifies.

Sam bristles slightly, but doesn’t push for details. She has so many questions for her friend but she also wants nothing more than to read the mission reports for herself first; to read in between the lines at the details that she now knows aren’t there, but before she can ask for access to the folders, Catherine says: “Ra _is_ dead – of that, Jack is certain, but it was a Goa’uld that launched the attack on the base.”

“Well, if it wasn’t Ra –” Sam takes a breath as she meets Catherine’s eye, “then who the hell came through the gate?”

“And more importantly –”

“How many more are out there?”

As Catherine nods at the question, Sam leans back in her chair and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. She wasn’t fully sure what she was expecting to hear from the woman sitting opposite her, but now that Sam is here, she realizes with startling clarity that this is the last thing that would have been on her list.

“After yesterday’s attack,” Catherine explains quietly, “Jack sent a message to Daniel. He responded, so a decision was made to send a team back to Abydos.”

Sam’s gaze snaps to hers. “You’re sending people through the Stargate?”

“Not quite.” Catherine grimaces and then sighs. “It’s just reconnaissance at this point.”

“So,” she says carefully, “that’s not why I’m here?”

There’s the briefest of pauses and Sam has to give Catherine credit when she doesn’t look away as she answers. “No. I’m sorry, Sam.”

Truthfully, she knows her chances of going through the gate are virtually zero, but she still can’t quite quell her disappointment.

“When does the team leave?” she asks instead.

“They left fifteen minutes ago.”

Sam leans back in her chair again and lets out a breath. She was so close to experiencing the gate in action again, only to miss out – _again._ She closes her eyes in disappointment. Something then clicks in her mind and she huffs out a laugh.

“Of course,” she thinks, “that’s what the shaking was.”

Catherine looks at her strangely, and Sam realizes she’s spoken aloud.

“Uh, I was in the elevator,” she offers, “and everything suddenly started to shake.”

“Ah,” Catherine says with a nod and a wistful smile, “we’re hoping to fix that.” Sam cants her head as she adds: “The shaking you experienced was the Stargate powering up and the wormhole to Abydos being established. The team are hoping Daniel can provide them with more information as to what happened – or help find those responsible.”

“Do they think Daniel was involved?”

“No,” she says. “I don’t think so.”

“How can they be so sure?”

The corner of Catherine’s lips turn upwards and she reaches behind her before she presents Sam with an empty, but very dusty, Kleenex box. She eyes it warily for a moment, then takes it and studies it closely. The words _‘THANKS SEND MORE’_ catch her attention.

“That was Daniel’s message,” Catherine says and Sam glances at her. “It was good enough for Jack to decide it was safe to return to the planet.”

The young doctor resists the urge to laugh or roll her eyes, but some of her disbelief must still show on her face because Catherine’s smile then widens. She folds her arms and leans them on the table.

“I’ll explain it to you later,” she promises, “but I trust Jack’s judgment on this – even if others don’t. He wouldn’t have risked going back if he had any doubts that it was unsafe.”

Sam feels herself nod in agreement, but she has no idea why Catherine is telling her any of this – and simultaneously also not telling her anything. She decides to bite the bullet.

“Catherine,” she sighs.

“I know you have mixed feelings about being recalled to the project,” the older woman interrupts gently, “and for that, I’m sorry, but I am glad you’re here. We all are.”

 _“We?”_ She repeats weakly.

Catherine ignores her question. “You are one of the brightest minds I’ve ever come across, Samantha, not to mention that you are still the foremost expert on the Stargate. I know that if anyone is going to make a difference here, it’s you.”

The praise makes Sam uncomfortable and she shifts in her seat. “I still don’t know what I’m doing here, Catherine,” she says with uncertainty.

“We don’t know if, or when, another enemy might walk through the Stargate. This base – it’s no longer secure and we need to take the precautions we can in order to stop another attack.”

Sam’s stomach twists. She watches Catherine shrewdly for a moment before she folds her hands and leans forward.

“Let me guess,” she says wryly, “ _that’s_ where I come in.”

“We need your help, Sam,” she stresses.

“What do you need me to do?”

“There’s a lot that needs to be done,” Catherine admits slowly before she takes a deep breath. “But first, we need you to design a shield for the Stargate.”


	5. Uncle George

**July 28, 1997**   
**Stargate Alliance (SGA)**   
**Cheyenne Mountain**

Twenty-four hours.

Sam has been given just twenty-four hours to produce a shield for the Stargate; a piece of alien technology that – despite being the foremost expert on – she is still to see in action. She has yet to see her theories morph into reality but she also has no idea as to the potential dangers they have now opened themselves to by using the gate.

After their conversation, Catherine had taken Sam down to Level 28 to see the gate up close again before they returned to the lab to start working. Sam, however, had decided to start her research by _finally_ reading the reports from the first mission to Abydos and once Catherine had told her that no reports were off-limits as she had been given the highest-level of clearance possible, Sam decided she might as well make the most of it. In the couple of hours that’s followed, she’s absorbed every other piece of information she has been able to get her hands on.

She’s now read the reports numerous times and she is realizing that knowing _about_ something and actually _knowing_ about it are two very different things. It’s why, in between her sketches and theories and calculations for the protective barrier that’s needed for the Stargate, Sam finds herself going back and re-reading the mission reports.

Or, to be more precise, one report in particular: Colonel Jack O’Neill’s.

There’s something about it, something about the man, that Sam can’t put her finger on and it makes her want to know every single detail of his time on Abydos. She subsequently also wants to get to know _him_. He’s an enigma and – being the scientist that she is – Sam finds herself needing to solve the puzzle he’s unknowingly presented her: what he was really thinking on the mission, what his motives were at the time, how different he is now compared to the man she’s heard whisperings from a year ago...

She shakes her head and tries to focus on the work, but it doesn’t come easily. She has practically memorized his report from the first mission and she now believes that everything she’s been involved with – including her move to Washington – has been helping her to get to this point. She feels like she’s been preparing for this her whole life.

The sound of drilling and hammering on metal abruptly cuts through Sam’s thoughts and she looks up at the Stargate. It’s the stark reminder she needs in order to concentrate and remember why she’s really here. She glances at her watch and sighs; her twenty-four hours are quickly counting down.

She isn’t confident that the timeframe is sufficient, but it has to be. The team, alongside Daniel Jackson, are due to return in the early hours of tomorrow morning and Sam will be damned if the iris isn’t installed and ready before they dial home. She’s drawn the sketches, finished the math and deduced which plan is most likely to succeed and now she finds herself elbow deep in pieces of titanium and blowtorches and the stale smell of sweat. It’s not exactly the introduction to the Program she’s imagined, but she is happy to do whatever it takes to prove her worth to those in charge and cement her place within the operation.

_“Samantha!”_

She turns when she hears her name and is unable to hide her surprise as George Hammond approaches her with a smile on his face and his arms open wide. Sam quickly sets down her clipboard and finds his embrace.

“Uncle George,” she murmurs fondly.

He gives her a squeeze before he pulls back. “Catherine told me you had arrived.”

“This morning,” she nods, then hesitates. “I… didn’t know you were stationed here – sir,” she adds awkwardly, as she glances around the gate room and tries to ignore the curious looks she’s now receiving from those around her.

George sighs heavily and gestures for her to follow him into the corridor. Sam waits until they are out of earshot from everyone, but before she can say anything, George breaks the silence.

“I was transferred to Cheyenne over a year ago,” he says, “after the first Abydos mission.”

“Oh.” Sam frowns. She knows George had taken some time away from work to be with his wife as she battled cancer, but following Mary’s death she thought her godfather had requested retirement. She didn’t realize that he had returned to active duty – and her father had never said. “I had no idea,” she adds quietly.

“It’s been a quiet posting,” he continues, then his expression turns sombre, “until yesterday.”

Sam takes a deep breath and straightens. “Catherine explained the situation – I’m sorry for the loss of your officers.”

He nodded at her apology, then cleared his throat. “Jack’s taken the losses harder than any of us – which is understandable for many reasons.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Well,” he says, “he’s the Commanding Officer of the SGA so –”

“Wait,” Sam swallows hard as she interrupts, “you’re not in charge?”

George suddenly chuckles and the ease that had settled in Sam’s stomach is suddenly upended over the discovery that she might actually not be working for her godfather.

“No, thankfully,” he says with a shake of his head, “Jack’s the one in charge. I’m his second-in-command.”

_“Jack?”_

Her confusion must still show however and George gives her an understanding smile. “General Jack O’Neill.”

“I see,” Sam answers. She knows who Jack is but she’s still coming to terms with the fact that Catherine left this very important detail out of their earlier conversation and she can’t help but wonder why. She shuffles from one foot to the other as she decides whether or not she should ask what the General is really like, when George gestures towards the gate room.

“How are things going in there?”

She follows his gaze and shrugs. “As best as they can right now,” she admits, “but I’m still not sure if this will even work.”

A hand rests on her upper arm, gentle but firm, and Sam looks up to find George looking at her. His gaze is strong, but there’s a soft smile that plays around his lips.

“If you’re behind this project,” he offers quietly, “it’ll work, Sam.”

“I hope you’re right,” she sighs as she lets her attention focus back on the flurry of activity around the Stargate. Suddenly, there’s a bang then an echoing clang as metal hits concrete. It’s quickly followed by a yelp and then a curse and Sam and George enter the gate room to find Siler hopping around on his left foot.

“I’m fine,” he says between clenched teeth. “I’m fine.”

“You better head up to the infirmary just to make sure, Sergeant,” George suggests as he signals for one of the nearby officers to assist.

Sam watches them go and smiles. She likes Siler and in the few hours that they’ve known each other, they work well together and without complaint. They can bounce ideas off one another and quickly come to an agreement as to the best way to approach a situation. However, she’s also discovered that the technician is very accident prone.

She feels a light pressure on her elbow and she turns her focus back to her honorary uncle.

“So,” he smiles as he gestures towards the gate, “tell me about this iris.”

“Yes, sir.” She reaches down to grab her clipboard and shows him one of the sketches which demonstrates the individual elements or ‘petals’ of the proposed shield.

“The iris will sit less than three micrometers from the event horizon,” Sam explains. “This will prevent most forms of matter from properly reintegrating.”

“So, anything coming through the wormhole…”

“If the iris is closed, will be destroyed,” she nods, understanding his unspoken query.

She waits for the colonel to digest the news but she already knows what his next question is going to be.

“How will we know when it’s our own people out there?”

Sam flips through the sheets of paper until she finds the one she wants.

“There,” she points to a series of calculations and she sees George’s eyebrows climb up his forehead. With a smile, she rests a hand on his arm in reassurance. “Despite matter not being able to reintegrate on this side, certain signals – such as radio signals – should still be able to penetrate the iris. I believe I can create a program that can translate the signal back to us, thereby identifying who’s on the other side of the gate. For now, though,” she sighs, “the iris takes priority. I can work on the rest once I know the barrier works.”

“It’ll work,” George nods confidently and it helps to push Sam’s doubts aside. “Well,” he adds with a smile, “I’ve taken up enough of your time this afternoon – and I still have work to do before the team arrives home, so I will check in with you again later. He pauses. “It’s really good to see you.”

“You too, uncle George,” she smiles.

She watches him leave but as he reaches the threshold, he turns.

“Oh, and Sam?” She watches as the colonel glances at the Stargate and then her before an inscrutable look crosses his face. “You’re going to do great but don’t work yourself into the ground, OK? Things are different here.”

His words play over in her mind long after they start to install the iris.


End file.
